Apparatus for manufacturing coreless can-ice.



No. 656,2!7. PatantedAug. 2|, I900. W. RCETTINGER & J. CONN. APPARATUSFOR MANUFACTURING COBELESS CAN ICE.

(Application flle'd. July 6, 1897.) (No Model.)

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' UNITED STATES PA ENT QFFICE.

\VILLIAM ROETTINGER, OF NEWPORT, AND JOHN CONN, OF BELLEVUE, KENTUCKY;SAID WILLIAM ROETTINGER ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM D. ROETTINGER, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CORELESS CAN-ICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,217, dated'August21 1900.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM ROETTIN- GER, residing at Newport, and JOHNCONN, residing at Bellevue, in the county of Campbell and State ofKentucky, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Coreless' Can-Ice, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

Our invention relates to the manufacture of coreless can-ice, which forthe convenience of commercial purposes is frozen in cans,

which may be of the customary or any suitable size and which arepartially submerged side by side in rows in the tank or vat of freezingbrine; and it has for its object the provision of means whereby thewater within the can during the time of freezing shall be so agitatedthat the ice when ready to be harvested from the cans shall not only befree from the usual central core, but also that all of the impurities inthe water shall be collected and contained in a cavity in the top of thecakes, from which when harvested in the usual manner it is removed,leaving as e the result beautiful clear cakes of ice without any centralcore and as free as possible from all impurities.

Our invention primarily consists in plac 'ing in each can at its middleand just below the surface of the water within the can a revolvingagitator of such shape that when revolved the water is drawn into it andis forced down in a compact small stream to the bottom of the can, whereit diverges and passes up, to the surface of the water and is 40 thenagain drawn in and then forced down, this operation being continueduntil the water within the can is entirely frozen, except that portionin the cavity immediately around the agitator, which will be found tocontain all of the impurities which were in the water.

It also relates to novel and simple means whereby the above results areaccomplished and whereby the apparatus is adapted to the presentarrangement of freezing-tanks with their removable covers.

Application filed July 6,1897. Serial No. 643,659-

No model.)

The novelty of our invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth,and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure'l is a broken plan view of aportion of the top of a f reezing-tank and its covers, showing theapplication of our invention thereto. Fig.

2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a part of onev of the covers,showing the application thereto of onefof the agitators. 'Fig. 3 is acorresponding View, on a Vertical section, at

right angles to Fig. 2, showing the driving mechanism for theagitator-shaft. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of one of the cansindicating the course of circulation of the water under the action ofthe agitator. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one form of agitator. Fig.

6 is an enlarged top plan view of the same with the top plate removed.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures. Referring to Fig. 1, A are the top sills of thefreezing-tank of the usual or any suitable construction for supportingthe lids or covers B, which in this instance we have shown of a size tocover two cans 0, though, if preferred, there might be a lid for eachcan. Secured to the under side of the covers B, just overthe middle ofeach can, is a bracket or stirrup a, in which is vertically journaled ashaft 1), having secured upon its lower end an agitator D, preferablyfrusto conoidal in outline with its small end downward and composed ofcurved blades 0, which, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, may have verticalinner and outer walls, or, as shown in Fig. 2, may be set spirally.These agitators are preferably covered by a top plate (1, to which theshafts b are secured. Passing down through the covers adjacent to theshafts b are stems 0 c, Fig. 2, whose upper squared ends are in recessesin the floor and are adapted to be engaged by turning keys f. The lowerends of the stem 6 beneath the covers are threaded and engage plates g,having perforations for 5 the free passage of the shafts b, which aresupported thereby by means of bosses or collars 72, fast on' the upperend of the shafts b and resting on the tops of the plates g in suchmanner that by turning the stems e the shafts b are raised or lowered tocorrespondingly raise or lower the agitators D. Feathered on the shafts1), between crosspieces 1' of the stirrup a, are beveled gears j, Figs.2 and 3, with which mesh larger gears 70 on the inner ends of shafts l,suitably journaled on the under side of the covers and carried thereby,and whose outer ends have upon them small beveled pinions m, meshingwith double-beveled pinions n on longitudinal shafts E, of which thereare a series, as seen in Fig. 1, parallel to each other, journaled uponevery alternate sill A and extending entirely across the freezing-tank,with their pro jecting ends at one end of the tank, provided withpulleys or gearing in such manner that all may be simultaneously anduniformly r0- tated to give simultaneous and uniform rotation to all theagitators, as will be readily understood.

When the cans are filled with water to be frozen and are in position inthe tank, the covers are placed thereon, thereby bringing the gears m nand 70 j into mesh. The shafts b are lowered so as to just submerge theagitators D beneath the surface of the water in the cans and the shaftsE are set in motion. With agitators having a diameter of from four tolive inches at their lower ends and a depth of about three inches Wehave found from practical tests that with an initial speed of about onehundred and eighty (180) revolutions of the agitators to the minuteexcellent results were obtained and the ice taken from the cans wassolid, clear, and without a core. Shortly before harvesting the ice andbefore the freezing of the water is entirely completed the shafts b areraised to partially raise the agitators and bring their tops above thesurface of the water, and the speed of revolution is decreased. Thisleaves a conical cavity in the top of the ice, in which is found to becollected all the impurities contained in the water, and this when thecans are lifted out and submerged in warm water, as is customary, iswashed away.

By the above-described arrangement all of the machinery excepting theprojecting ends of the shafts E is under the floors B and out of theway, and at the same time the floors may be independently lifted to giveaccess to the cans without disarranging any of the parts and may beinstantly replaced to bring the parts into Working relation, as will bereadily understood.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim 1. The combinationof an ice-forming can containing water to be frozen, a freezing-tanktherefor containing a liquid-freezing mixture, a vertically-setrevoluble agitator submerged just below the surface of the water in theice-forming can at its center and terminatin g a short distance belowthe surface of the water in said can, said agitator being constructed todraw the water 'at the top of the can toward itself and force the samedownward whence it spreads and arises at the sides of the can, and meansfor revolving said agitator, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an ice-forming can, a freezing-tank therefor, avertically-set frustoconoidal agitator with curved blades arranged atthe center of the can and adapted to draw the water toward itself andforce it downward,

and means for revolving said agitator, substantially as described.

3. In a can-freezing system, the combination of the freezing-tank, itsindependentlyremovable covers, agitators suspended and carriedtherefrom, driving-shafts journaled below the covers, and inter-meshinggearing between said shafts and agitators, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination andarrangement of the shafts, E, provided with gears, n, covers, B, havingjournaled thereunder, shafts, L, provided with gears, m, It, stirrups,a, on the under side of the covers, shafts, b, journaled therein, andcarrying agitators, gears, j, feathered on shafts, b, and means forraising and lowering the agitators, substantially as described.

WILLIAM ROETTINGER. JOHN CONN. Witnesses:

H. K. ROGERS, BERNARD J. HAUSFELD.

